Several Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have formally requested Attorney General Merrick Garland to rescind his school board memo and discontinue the directives for the FBI to work with local and state law enforcement, according to U.S. News & World Report.
"The last thing the Justice Department and FBI need is a very vague memo to unleash their power – especially when they've shown zero interest in holding their own accountable," said Sen. Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican and ranking member of the committee, according to the article.
All Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are calling on Garland to clarify that the Justice Department does not equate parents with domestic terrorists.
The National School Boards Association wrote to President Joe Biden on Sept. 29, calling on the federal government to act after disruptions at some school board meetings.
"As these threats and acts of violence have become more prevalent – during public school board meetings, via documented threats transmitted through the U.S. Postal Service, through social media and other online platforms and around personal properties – NSBA respectfully asks that a joint collaboration among federal law enforcement agencies, state and local law enforcement, and with public school officials be undertaken to focus on these threats," the letter said.
The attorney general's Oct. 4 memo was meant to address what he called "a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation's public schools."
On Oct. 22, NSBA denounced its own letter, and the previous letter has been removed from their website. In their apology to their members, NSBA said, "On behalf of NSBA, we regret and apologize for the letter. To be clear, the safety of school board members, other public school officials and educators, and students is our top priority, and there remains important work to be done on this issue. However, there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter."
Fox News obtained emails that show the NSBA coordinated with the White House before sending their initial letter. As reported by Fox News, "In talks over the last several weeks with White House staff, they requested additional information on some of the specific threats, so the letter also details many of the incidents that have been occurring," NSBA executive Chip Slaven wrote in a Sept. 29 email to the NSBA board of directors.
As reported by Center Square, 26 state associations have distanced themselves from the NSBA's initial letter, and 11 of them have severed ties with the NSBA.
The senators' letter says the AG's memo should be rescinded because it is scaring parents to the extent it is keeping them from becoming involved in their local schools.
"In light of a disturbing new revelation about the FBI's Counterterrorism Division following your directive, we call on you to withdraw your Oct. 4 memorandum and make abundantly clear through words and actions that no arm of the government, including the offices under your command, may be used to chill criticism of local government officials," the letter said. "However, it should be abundantly clear to you now that no matter what your claimed intention was at the time of issuing that memo, the subsequent reaction of American parents and the public shows it has had a clear chilling effect on them."
The senators wrote that they have constituents reporting concern "about the idea that the FBI will be tracking what they say at local school board meetings."
